Ballinspittle
Encyclopedia
Ballinspittle is a village
in County Cork
, Province of Munster
, Ireland
. It is in the parish of Courceys
and lies about 8km (5 miles) south-west of Kinsale
. It is near Garrylucas and Garrettstown Blue Flag
beach
es.
The village is a community with new housing estate
s, businesses, a Post Office
, a National School and a Gaelic Athletic Association
facility known as the Jim O' Regan Memorial Park.
of the Blessed Virgin Mary moving spontaneously
. As news of the phenomenon spread, thousands of pilgrim
s and spectators flocked to the site of the statue. Many of the visitors claimed that they observed similar movements. The Catholic Clergy
in Ireland maintained a neutral stance regarding the authenticity of the claims. The phenomenon was never scientifically confirmed.
grew up in the townland of Kilmore just outside of the village.
Community events include Fancy dress parades, Historical walks, Road Bowling (an ancient sport on the country roads of Ireland), Country Market, Family Athletics, Novelty Races, Garden Tour, traditional music, pet shows, cow bingo, swimming races, crab fishing, sandcastle building, crazy football, car treasure hunt, festival Mass, nightly street barbecue, and a visit of the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Province of Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It is in the parish of Courceys
Courceys
Courceys is a Civil parish and barony in County Cork on the south coast of Ireland. Its name refers to the Norman de Courcy family, who ruled the area from the early 13th century. The villages in the parish include Ballinspittle and Ballinadee....
and lies about 8km (5 miles) south-west of Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
. It is near Garrylucas and Garrettstown Blue Flag
Blue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es.
The village is a community with new housing estate
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
s, businesses, a Post Office
An Post
An Post is the State-owned provider of postal services in the Republic of Ireland. An Post provides a universal postal service to all parts of the country as a member of the Universal Postal Union...
, a National School and a Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
facility known as the Jim O' Regan Memorial Park.
Moving statue
In the summer of 1985, Ballinspittle received national and international attention when some locals claimed to have witnessed a statueStatue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
of the Blessed Virgin Mary moving spontaneously
Moving statues
The moving statues phenomenon occurred during the summer of 1985 in Ireland, where statues of the Virgin Mary were reported to move spontaneously....
. As news of the phenomenon spread, thousands of pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s and spectators flocked to the site of the statue. Many of the visitors claimed that they observed similar movements. The Catholic Clergy
Roman Catholicism in Ireland
The Catholic Church in Ireland is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church with full communion with the Pope, currently Benedict XVI...
in Ireland maintained a neutral stance regarding the authenticity of the claims. The phenomenon was never scientifically confirmed.
Sport
- Courcey Rovers GAACourcey Rovers GAACourcey Rovers is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the villages of Ballinspittle and Ballinadee in County Cork, Ireland. The club fields both hurling, Gaelic football and camogie teams. It has historically concentrated on hurling. The club is part of the Carrigdhoun division of Cork...
is the local Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club based in Ballinspittle and Ballinadee. The under 14 girls beat Iniscarra to enter the Feile 2010 in Clare. - De Courcey Albion is the local soccer club based in Ballinspittle & Ballinadee.
Notable people
The famous Irish Tenor Finbar WrightFinbar Wright
Edward Finbar Wright , known popularly as Finbar Wright, is a popular music singer, songwriter, poet from County Cork, Ireland....
grew up in the townland of Kilmore just outside of the village.
Ballinspittle Festival
There is a Summer Festival that has been running since 2001 featuring Live Bands on the Village Centre Festival Stage. The neighbouring village of Ballinadee hosts events on the weekend prior to Ballinspittle Festival. The village enjoys an annual influx of summer visitors mainly from Cork City.Community events include Fancy dress parades, Historical walks, Road Bowling (an ancient sport on the country roads of Ireland), Country Market, Family Athletics, Novelty Races, Garden Tour, traditional music, pet shows, cow bingo, swimming races, crab fishing, sandcastle building, crazy football, car treasure hunt, festival Mass, nightly street barbecue, and a visit of the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat.